The Humans Behind Our Product Process Machines

A perspective on our greatest potential oversight — the people.

Mike Curtis
The You Design System

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a woman looking at the camera leaning her arms on a tech tablet
We’ve created a culture that worships at the altar of process.

We’ve forgotten the people we’re creating for.

I know new tools, software advancements, AI, and cutting-edge solutions are exciting, but I’ve noticed a glaring blind spot in tech. Our product development industry, with all its brilliance and expertise, seems to have misplaced the most fundamental aspect of what we do.

We’re so enamored with processes, sprints, procedures, frameworks, methodologies, and tools that we’ve lost sight of the humans behind the screen. We refer to our customers as “users” and data points, neglecting the intricate complexities of their lives. We’ve forgotten that metrics translate to human stories, struggles, emotions, and desires.

We’ve become fixated on the “how” of what we build and forgotten the “who” we built it for. We’re disregarding that low conversion rates and plummeting site analytics reflect something telling of the humans using our products.

It’s time for us to re-align our focus and recognize that the success of our products and businesses hinges on a deep understanding of the people.

We’ve created a culture that worships at the altar of…

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Mike Curtis
The You Design System

Senior UX Designer / New articles weekly on design & self-improvement / Helping you design the "UX of You" / 22+ years in design, marketing, & sales.